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Multiple myeloma is a complex disease. Know your options.

Multiple myeloma is cancer that develops in the plasma cells. A type of white blood cell found mainly in the bone marrow, plasma cells help the immune system fight off infection by making antibodies that help kill germs. When cancer grows in these cells, it causes an excess of abnormal plasma cells, which form tumors in multiple locations throughout the bone marrow and crowd out and prevent the production of normal blood cells. This often leads to low blood counts, impairing the body’s ability to fight off infection. The disease generally doesn’t produce symptoms until it has advanced, so it typically isn’t diagnosed until it has spread.
At Cancer Treatment Centers of America® (CTCA), our multidisciplinary care team of medical oncologists, hematologists and supportive care clinicians work together to diagnose the disease in an efficient, timely manner and explain the treatment options available to you, so you can make more informed decisions about your care.

What you should know after a multiple myeloma diagnosis

Treatment options

Various treatments are used for multiple myeloma. Which is appropriate for you generally depends on the symptoms you are experiencing, among other factors. Patients with early-stage multiple myeloma with no symptoms, for example, may be closely monitored by their doctor, through an approach called active surveillance. Those with symptoms may be treated with chemotherapy or targeted therapy, and sometimes, stem cell transplantation. Other treatments, such as radiation therapy, interventional radiology and surgery, may also be recommended in certain circumstances.

ChemotherapyChemotherapy for multiple myeloma is generally given in combination with other drugs to fight the disease and prevent recurrence.

Supportive care

Multiple myeloma patients may experience disease- or treatment-related side effects, including anemia, aches and pains in the neck and back, headaches, difficulty walking, fatigue and peripheral neuropathy. Supportive care therapies for multiple myeloma patients may include:

​Chiropractic care

​Chiropractic care is a health care profession that focuses on disorders of the musculoskeletal system and the nervous system.

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​Oncology rehabilitation

​Oncology rehabilitation includes a wide range of therapies designed to help you build strength and endurance.

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​Nutrition therapy

Every patient has the option of meeting with a registered dietitian.

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Learn about multiple myeloma

Also called Kahler disease, bone marrow cancer or plasma cell myeloma, multiple myeloma causes the body to produce an abundance of abnormal plasma cells that form tumors in the bone marrow. The tumors overcrowd the bone marrow and prevent the normal reproduction of healthy blood cells. Because normal plasma cells help the immune system fight infection, multiple myeloma often impairs the body’s ability to kill germs. The disease also may cause symptoms such as bone pain, unexplained fractures and fatigue.

Multiple myeloma is uncommon in the United States. It occurs most often in people who are 65 or older and is slightly more common in men.

"I will continue to go to CTCA for as long as I need to. The fact that I can even provide this testimonial feels like a miracle to me. I had late-stage cancer, and here I am, getting stronger every day, a direct result of the care I received at CTCA."